Motion for a resolution | Doc. 14655 | 16 October 2018

Role of parliaments in implementing the United Nations global compacts for migrants and refugees

Signatories: Ms Stella KYRIAKIDES, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Mr Jokin BILDARRATZ, Spain, ALDE ; Ms Rósa Björk BRYNJÓLFSDÓTTIR, Iceland, UEL ; Mr Vernon COAKER, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Pierre-Alain FRIDEZ, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Paul GAVAN, Ireland, UEL ; Mr Valeriu GHILETCHI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Mr Fabien GOUTTEFARDE, France, NR ; Mr Domagoj HAJDUKOVIĆ, Croatia, SOC ; Mr Frank HEINRICH, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Dzheyhan IBRYAMOV, Bulgaria, ALDE ; Ms Eva-Lena JANSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Baroness Doreen MASSEY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Haya MUFLIH, Jordan ; Mr Killion MUNYAMA, Poland, EPP/CD ; Ms Judith PALLARÉS, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Paulo PISCO, Portugal, SOC ; Mr Georgios PSYCHOGIOS, Greece, UEL ; Lord Simon RUSSELL, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Predrag SEKULIĆ, Montenegro, SOC ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The United Nations resolved to launch a process of intergovernmental negotiations leading to the adoption of two new global compacts aimed at improving the way in which the international community responds to large movements of refugees and migrants, as well as to protracted refugee situations. In December 2018, an intergovernmentally negotiated and agreed outcome, entitled “Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration” should be adopted in Marrakesh. This compact is consistent with target 10.7 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in which member States committed to co-operate internationally to facilitate safe, orderly and regular migration and its scope is defined in Annex II of the New York Declaration. Furthermore, the world community is now in the process of negotiating a second Global Compact for Refugees.

The Council of Europe has followed closely the preparatory work on the compacts, and the Secretary General’s Special Representative on Migration and Refugees has made oral and written contributions to the content of both. Member States should continue to play an active role in the process, promoting human rights and human dignity in the context of migration, and should seize this opportunity to make a substantive contribution.

Parliaments of member States should also identify ways and means to support the implementation of the Global Compacts. To that end, the Parliamentary Assembly should examine the areas of the frameworks provided by the compacts which fall within the Council of Europe’s remit and make recommendations to member States on concrete follow-up action.